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Measuring Hydrocarbons in the Atmosphere

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Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology Protocols

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Abstract

Hydrocarbons play a significant role in the chemistry of the troposphere. They are not only emitted into the atmosphere from a wide variety of natural and anthropogenic sources but they may also be formed via atmospheric transformations. This chapter focuses on volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The collection and measurement of VOCs has been the subject of countless studies. Measurements of VOCs in the atmosphere have generally been made with gas chromatographic analyses of air samples collected in canisters, on adsorbents or in cryostats. The sample-collection step plays a crucial role in the analytical process, as it determines the representativeness of the sample. Canisters are most useful for very volatile, nonpolar compounds while sorbent tubes are more applicable for less volatile analytes. Their wide use in air monitoring has resulted in the development of a number of protocols for the analysis of a broad range of VOCs.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK

    Ian Colbeck

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  1. Ian Colbeck
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Correspondence to Ian Colbeck .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex, United Kingdom

    Terry J. McGenity

  2. Institute of Microbiology, Technical University Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany

    Kenneth N. Timmis

  3. Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands and Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, UIB-CSIC), Palma de Mallorca, Spain

    Balbina Nogales

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Colbeck, I. (2016). Measuring Hydrocarbons in the Atmosphere. In: McGenity, T., Timmis, K., Nogales, B. (eds) Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology Protocols. Springer Protocols Handbooks. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/8623_2016_199

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/8623_2016_199

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-52791-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-52793-1

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